The 'generic' version of this popular drug could be dangerous

If you've ever come across an ad claiming that it can sell you a
"generic" version of the little blue pill, then you've probably
dismissed it as bogus.

But scam ads for Viagra, which is prescribed for erectile
dysfunction, aren't the only thing that you should steer clear
of. Any company that claims that it can sell you a cheaper,
generic version of Viagra is lying, a recent post in The
New York Times' Well blog points out.

That means that for now, "any pharmacy that's offering generic
Viagra is probably using counterfeit product that's not
approved," Carmen Catizone, the executive director of the
National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, a professional
organization unaffiliated with drug makers,
told The Times.

It's important to keep in mind, though, that true generic
versions of drugs save lives.

In general, generics are a wonderful thing — they're a lower-cost
alternative to expensive, brand-name versions of drugs. In 2010
alone, generics
saved the US healthcare system roughly $158 billion, or about
$3 billion each week, according to the US Food and Drug
Administration.

But these drugs aren't just
saving money: Without them, millions of people around the
globe would not be able to afford the medications that they need
to survive life-threatening conditions like diabetes.

In the US, generics can exist for several reasons. First,
companies that produce them don't have to pay for
advertising. They're also not forced to repeat expensive clinical
trials of new drugs. Plus, a handful of companies will
typically all get approved to make a generic at once, which
ideally creates competition in the marketplace and can sometimes
result in even lower prices for those drugs.

The reason there's no generic Viagra yet is because Pfizer, the
company that makes it,
holds two patents for the drug: the first for Viagra's
composition — which expired in 2012 — and the second for what's
called a "method of treatment," meaning how the drug is used.
That one doesn't expire until 2020.

But the story doesn't end there.

The drug company Teva Pharmaceuticals USA plans to sell a generic
version of Viagra in the US in 2017. How? By
entering into an agreement with Pfizer that allows it to
enter the market early in exchange for paying patent royalties to
Pfizer through 2020.